In the furniture industry, upholstered furniture is built by a series of craftsmen in a series of steps, each craftsman having a specialty in the manufacturing process. At each step, the work in process is lifted and positioned on a support, usually two "saw horses", and the craftsman then performs his speciality with the workpiece in that position. The fruit of his labors is then removed from the support and then moved to another station where still another craftsman lifts the work in process onto another support and performs his particular task. This basic process is continued until the work in process becomes finished goods.
This basic method is shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the figures showing the initial station in an upholstering furniture production process, namely, the providing of a wooden frame 2 and placing it on saw horses 1 by craftsman 3 in preparation to performing various upholstering procedures to frame 2.
Apart from the inconvenience of lifting required by craftsman 3 and associated Workman's Compensation Claims associated with lifting, the prior art method limits the workpiece (frame 2) to one elevated position, i.e., that position shown in FIG. 2. It would be more desirable if the craftsman had the capability of not only avoiding the physical danger of lifting workpiece 2, but could place it in a multitude of positions compatible to the craftsman's height or body build, and/or the particular task at hand. It is towards the solution of these problems that this invention is directed.